Cloud computing which has been attracting attention recently is defined in a variety of ways. One aspect of cloud computing is to appropriately combine and utilize computing resources distributed globally on the Internet to provide information services and application services to users.
In a cloud computing environment, various servicers (also referred to as service providers) provide various kinds of services under various conditions.
One of the conditions is a service level agreement (SLA).
The SLA is a form of contract in a broad sense, for a servicer to assure a service user of the quality of a service. The term SLA may be used to mean a data file in which various requirements to be observed by a servicer are described.
Typically, in cloud computing, a service user examines an SLA provided by a servicer and then agrees to a contract with the servicer.
Though an SLA is provided by a servicer, at present, standardization of the description contents and description form of SLA is being attempted.